


Re-entry

by destielpasta



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Breaking Up & Making Up, Character Death Fix, Communication, Getting Back Together, Hurt/Comfort, M rating is for later chapters and subject to change, M/M, Making Out, Post-Canon Fix-It, Rescue Missions, Reunions, Season Seven spoilers, Sexual Content, post- season 7
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-25 17:20:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15645378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destielpasta/pseuds/destielpasta
Summary: It’s Pidge who knocks on his door late one night, the printed screenshot folded small enough to disappear in her hand. Why did she print it instead of showing him on a tablet?  It’s blurry, showing almost nothing of consequence. A fluke, a shot-in-the-dark, a one-in-a-million.“It’s Adam.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Local bisexual is upset that Adam is dead and wants it not to be so. Watch as she ignores canon and brings him back to life. 
> 
> But seriously, I was really upset that we didn't get more on Adam and his and Shiro's relationship. So enjoy this attempt at reuniting them and ignoring canon. I'm old. I've done this before and I'll do it again. 
> 
> Enjoy!

It’s just a still-shot from a video, and a blurry one at that. It came from a security camera on a Galra ship that had been destroyed, its wreckage landing on Earth. When its hard drive was recovered, it landed on Shiro’s desk. He passed it off to Pidge, hoping she could break through the firewall for any intel. 

It’s Pidge who knocks on his door late one night, the printed screenshot folded small enough to disappear in her hand. Why did she print it instead of showing him on a tablet?  It’s blurry, showing almost nothing of consequence. A fluke, a shot-in-the-dark, a one-in-a-million.

“It’s Adam.”

The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them. The hope crops up in his mind before he can stem it. 

“I thought you would want to see it before anyone else did. In case…” She pauses. “I just think you should be the one to make the decision on this.”

Shiro bites his lower lip, staring at the picture. He should tell Pidge that that’s not strictly true. Adam has family. None of them are in the Garrison, but they’re still his family. Shiro was…

His what? 

Pidge keeps talking “The footage was taken two weeks before this ship was destroyed. So… it’s fairly recent. Four weeks old total, if the camera date is correct.”

“How did you get this?” Shiro interrupts. 

Pidge’s eyebrows knit together. “You know where. You gave me the assignment to examine the Galra wreckage that came in last week.”

The question had been designed to give Shiro more time to think. He needs more time to look it over, to squint and glare at the grainy photograph until he could convince himself that the man on the memorial wall is still alive. The man in the picture has glasses like Adam, pointed  rectangles that are entirely too small for a pilot. He has the same light brown hair, but it’s longer than Adam had ever worn it. The man has a short beard, and wears the tattered remains of a Garrison flight suit. 

Why were security cameras grainy in  _ every galaxy _ ?

He looks up. Pidge studies him. She’s so kind, but also curious. This isn’t a code she can break. 

“Thanks Pidge. You were right to bring me this.” He manages a smile through his pounding heart. 

She smiles back. “I’ll let you think on it. Just remember that we’ve got your back, ok?”

He nods, and she leaves. He waits until her footsteps are faint. 

He gets up and flips on his overhead light. He takes another look at the picture, laying it out on his desk to smooth out the creases. Even through the poor quality he can make out a birthmark on the man’s neck, just below his jawline. Adam has one just like it. 

Adam  _ had _ one just like it, he corrects himself. 

He re-folds it, stashing it in the bottom drawer. He has an early day tomorrow helping Coran with the Atlas. This will have to wait. 

 

* * *

 

He waits approximately four hours. 

It’s the middle of the night when he wakes up, remembering only the tail end of his dream. There had been an explosion, and a pilot’s vitals screen going dark. It’s the scene Holt had painted for him, when he had told him of Adam’s last moments. Sam isn’t the best storyteller, as much as he tried to make it sound like Adam’s last moments had been heroic instead of terrifying. 

Shiro swallows, running his fingers through his hair and standing up. He retrieves the picture from the desk drawer, setting it under his desk lamp this time. 

The man in the picture is being dragged out of what looks like a jail cell, led by someone who was out of shot. No wonder it had stuck out to Pidge, it was almost a ringer for the footage she had found of her brother when she was looking for him. 

He wishes he could see the original footage. See the way the man moved. That would prove it. That would show him the truth. 

He makes a frustrated noise and sits back in his chair. Lets his eyes fall shut. 

_ Takashi… How important am I to you? _

He swallows and sits forward. He sets his eyes on the picture again, looking everywhere instead of the man’s face. Instead he looks above the doorways, along the baseboards, at the prisoner’s tag he wears. His eyes are inches away from the paper. Then he sees it. 

87345

It’s in Galra, but he recognizes the alien number system printed on the tag the prisoner wears. If the prisoner had remained on the ship when it was destroyed then the number he wore would match the serial number on the hard drive. It he were being transferred, as he appeared to be…

He looks at the clock. 4AM. Pidge would still be asleep. He would have to sneak into her workshop. He should wait until the morning. 

He doesn’t. 

The floors don’t creak in the Garrison HQ, but his heels can click loud enough against the floor to wake a trigger-happy cadet if he isn’t careful. There are rules here about when to sleep and when to rise and when to eat and when to die, unlike when they’re in Voltron and make their own rules. He’s the commander of Atlas, no one would begrudge him a walk through the halls at night. But they would ask questions. 

He’s halfway down the hallway when he comes to an intersection. He ducks forward slightly, checking around the corners for anyone coming. 

“Looking for something?”

His consciousness nearly jumps back into the void. He whips around, seeing Keith behind him with a smirk on his face. 

“You almost gave me a heart attack,” Shiro pants, planting his hands on his hips. 

Keith is in his flight suit, his helmet under his arm. “You’re lucky I found you. It takes two to sneak through the Garrison.”

Shiro tries to look innocent. “I wasn’t sneaking. I’m just looking for a glass of water.”

“You have a bathroom in your room.”

“I didn’t have a  _ glass _ .”

Keith raises his eyebrows. His gaze slips down. Shiro tries too late to hide his hand. 

“What’s that?”

“It’s nothing.”

“No one prints anything on paper anymore. It’s gotta be something.”

Shiro sighs. He hands Keith the paper. He walks over to a light, studying it, his lips a thin line as he takes it in. 

He looks up after a minute. 

“Are you going after him?”

Shiro hadn’t thought about it until now. He hadn’t thought that far ahead at all. 

“If I can.”

Keith nods. “Need help breaking into Pidge’s lab?”

“Yup.”

“Let’s go.”

They don’t really need to break into Pidge’s lab, Shiro has the codes to the entire facility. But he wants to be discreet. The less questions, the better. 

Shiro starts to boot up the computer, the obviously Galra hard drive still sitting next to Pidge’s Earth equipment. It was smooth, black, and unblemished like most Galra equipment. They would have to wait until it started up to see if the glowing serial numbers match the ones on Adam’s tag. 

Keith drums his fingers against the arms of his chair. He had never been one to fill time with chatter, but he looks like he’s contemplating saying something. 

“Something on your mind, Keith?”

“No,” he says quickly, eyes sharp. He looks to the side. “I was just wondering if you missed Adam. All this time.”   


He types a few passcodes into the computer. “Of course I missed him. We were going to get married.”

“Right,” Keith says. “I just–  you never talked about him after.”

Shiro freezes, his fingers over the keyboard. “You know we broke it off before Kerberos.”

Keith holds up his hands. “I know that. I just, well, you must have been upset. And then you came back here and found out he was gone and you still haven’t said much about it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Shiro.”

Keith’s hand on his arm stops him from typing. Shiro meets his eyes. They’re concerned.

“I’m here for you. Whether or not this turns into a dead end.”

Shiro almost wants to smile because this Keith, the guy who supports his friends and isn’t afraid to face challenges, will always make him happy. In truth, he was the only one who could understand. Adam had often been the one to distract Keith when Shiro had to go for his treatments, playing hours of video games with him in their apartment and offering endless piloting stories. The way Shiro had taken care of Keith had been something Adam had loved about him, in the beginning. 

“Thanks, Keith. And I know I can.”

He hits a few more buttons, and suddenly the hard drive begins to glow, spidery magenta writing scrawling across the surface. Shiro searches for the serial number, comparing it to the one on Adam’s tag. 

“It’s not a match,” he says quietly, staring at the numbers. 

Keith leans forward. “Which means?”

He takes a deep breath. “It means that Adam wasn’t on this ship when it was destroyed. He was transferred.”

Something blooms inside of him, small and warm. 

“Adam could be alive.”


	2. Chapter 2

They manage to track down the Galra cruiser that matches the serial number on Adam’s uniform, but its only an approximate location. Pidge had worked her magic as usual, but even the Atlas has trouble tracking Galra tech as well as the Castle of Lions.

He’s not upset about it. He flips a few switches on the MFE fighter he’s flying and settles in for the journey. An approximate location is better than no location, and he’s lucky the Garrison is supporting him on what might be a wild goose chase. Allura had even patented a new way to create wormholes remotely using the Bolmeran crystal now aboard the MFE. It’s enough.

“This is Commander Shirogane, signing off before entering the wormhole.”

The other line picks up, but there’s a pause before the other voice responds.

“Shiro.” It’s Allura. “You don’t have to do this alone. It’s silly.”

He clicks his tongue and tries to sound casual. Allura has all the qualities of a leader, but she’s not military.

“It’s just a milk run. Might be nothing. I won’t go in if it looks dangerous.”

It’s a lie, but he’s thankful Allura doesn’t acknowledge it. “Of course. I’m entering the coordinates for your wormhole now. I’m going to put you behind an ice planet to keep you hidden. We’re still not sure if it will put you too close to the cruiser–”

“I know,” He interrupts. “I’ll be on guard.”

Her fingers tap against her control panel. “You know how to signal for re-entry?”

He taps his own comm system. “Enter the code, wait for wormhole.”

Allura pauses. “This technology really hasn’t been properly tested, Shiro, and to test it on such an important mission–”

“Allura.”

They had offered him the Atlas with a full crew. Keith had said the Black Lion would respond to him if he tried. The rest of paladins had offered to accompany them in their lions He knew he had been stupid to refuse the offers. But…

He takes a deep breath.“I have to just see. I can’t put anyone else in danger. Allura–”

“Alright. I’m sure you know what you’re doing.” She doesn’t press the issue. None of them truly knew how to handle him in this capacity. Like Keith had said, he hadn’t even talked about Adam since before Kerberos.

“Are you ready?” She asks.

He grips the gear stick. “Yes.”

“Good luck. We’ll be waiting for you and Adam to signal.” He swallows, not responding. “Our communication will go dark in 3, 2–”

The rings starts to glow in front of him, a swirling mass of purple and black. He sets off at full speed, heading straight into the wormhole. The colors swirl around him, pressing hard against the man-made materials of the MFE. It feels hotter than it ever did in the Castle of Lions, like all the energy of time and space is pounding against his ear drums. He braces himself. It’s not supposed to be a long ride.

He emerges into unfamiliar space, new stars swirling around him. For the first time in a year, he’s light years away from Earth. A large, white planet looms before him, the ice planet Allura had told him about.

Well, he could go back and tell them that the wormholes worked, at least.

His systems indicate that the planet has a thin atmosphere and strong gravity, so he keeps his distance, using it as shield as he moves cautiously to search for the Galra cruiser. Allura had said it was an uninhabited planet with low quintessence levels, unlikely to be occupied by Galra, but they could be using the gravity field to keep a base here.

He fiddles with the controls, darkening the ship’s lights and entering stealth mode. He settles in to search.

_Shiro opens the door to his room to find it already occupied. It’s a boy about his age, with light brown hair and freckles scattered across his nose._

_“Oh,” the boy says, thrusting out his hand before Shiro could even shut the door behind him, “I’m Adam. Wincek. Just Adam is fine though. I guess I’m your new roommate.”_

_Shiro takes his hand, giving it a firm shake. “Nice to meet you.”_

_Adam smiles, clearly relieved. “I got bumped up the list since your last roommate went home. I hope I can catch up.”_

_Adam’s eyes widen, as if he had revealed a giant weakness._

_“You will,” Shiro says quickly, letting his hand drop. He wasn’t one to let others feel uncomfortable. “I’ll help you.”_

The MFE’s sensors are incredibly sensitive, and there’s a blip on his radar before the cruiser emerges from behind the ice planet and into his view.

He exhales, shaking off the memory like a dream. He needs to be sharp. He grips the stick, ducking down before the cruiser spots him. He still has a visual, however. The hangar is open, and several fighter ships are landing.

He bites his lip, thinking quickly. If he were to rush in now, the whole hangar would be full of Galra and drones that would love nothing more than to kill him, but he had no idea of knowing when the hangar would be open again.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a small moon orbiting the ice planet.

Ten minutes later, his ship is stashed safely on the moon and he’s in his space suit tailing a Galra fighter headed for the cruiser. Gently, he latches onto the hull, trying to making himself invisible as they approach the base.

There’s a lot of shouting going on in the hangar when they get there, the door sealing up tight behind them once all the fighter ships are inside.

“The pirates are approaching, it’s time to find a new spot,” He hears a Galra shout to exiting pilots over the sounds of powering-down ships, “Hail down all fighters and get them in this hangar within a varga or they’re getting left behind. Understood?”

“Vrepit sa!”

 _Fuck_. He had planned on not having to move in a hurry, especially since his new arm would render any and all disguises useless. He’d have to hope that in the flurry of activity he wouldn’t be spotted.

He jumps down from the ship, stooped down low until he can assess his options within the hangar. According to the voices, the hangar door could open again at any minute with more fighter planes. He takes advantage of the current emptiness and ducks out into the hallway.

He begins to recognize the usual sprawl of a Galra cruiser. The hallway to the right would lead to the barracks, while going straight would take him to the main controls. He heads left, hoping to find the elevator leading down to the prison cells.

He slips behind a pillar when voices start to pick up in volume from behind him. Their footsteps are heavier. Drones.

He remembers their patterns, and they would be able to detect his heat signature if they got any closer. He presses his ear up to the door behind him, listening for voices and hearing nothing. It’s the only door in the hallway that doesn’t require a passcode, so he grits his teeth and takes the chance.

Inside it’s quiet. Shelves line the walls, topped with smooth black crates carrying sharp instruments that look like weapons on first glance. No, they’re medical instruments. His eyes widen, the bone saws and spreaders and an array of knives and other things that are unrecognizable to him looming in front of him, each more menacing than the last.

A phantom pain buzzes in his arm from an arm that was long gone.

He presses on, and the room opens up, narrow beds lining the walls. A machine beeps from across the room. The beds are empty, except for one. There’s brown hair, and then the man turns over and Shiro sees him.

He’s by the bedside in an instant, feeling for the clasps that keep the straps holding Adam to the bed. There’s an IV drip that slowly moves through to a wicked needle connected to Adam’s arm. Shiro’s heart pounds. Adam’s eyes are closed, and his hair is wild and long. A scraggly beard covers the bottom half of his face.

But it’s him. He’s alive.

He tries to keep his breathing steady. To focus. He might have to carry Adam out of here. He needs his head.  

He manages to figure out one strap and the clasp pulls free.

Adam’s eyes flutter. He groans.

“Stop—” he says. “Get away—”

“Adam,” Shiro says, his fingers shaking as he works on the next clasp. Thank god his Altean arm doesn’t shake like his own. “It’s Shiro.”

The strap over his chest falls and Adam sits up shakily. He holds his head, staring at Shiro like he hadn’t heard him.

“Takashi?”

Adams eyes are wide, too wide, and glassy. He stares at Shiro’s face, then looks at his new arm.

“But you…” his words are slurred. “But you _died.”_

“So did you, now we’re even.” Shiro doesn’t expect Adam to comprehend what he’s saying; he’s already looking for an exit, he can sense guards coming from the hallway. There has to be another way out. He starts to work on the needle sticking into Adam’s arm, peeling back the medical tape.

Adam holds his arm out to him, pliant. There’s a large crack running down the left lense of his glasses.

“No,” He says, staring off into space. “You _didn’t_ die. Sam Holt said you were in a giant robot. Where’s the robot?”

Shiro works the needle out, tossing it to the ground. He slings an arm around Adam and helps him stand.

“Adam,” he says, taking on his almost dead weight. “I need you to focus. I’m going to get you out of here.”

“Hmmmm,” he responds, his head lolling around Shiro’s shoulder.

Shiro sighs, taking Adam’s face between his hands and forcing him to meet his eyes.

“Can you walk?”

Adam looks at him as if he had asked him to perform quantum mechanics on the fly. Then he looks at his arm.

“Why is your forearm so big?”

“Adam.” He shakes him a little, terrified by the distant look in his eyes.

“And you’re missing a bicep–”

“Adam!”

Adam flinches a little at his raised voice, but for a moment his eyes clear. “I can walk. Are we really leaving?”

Shiro nods. “Is there another exit to this place?”

Adam licks his lips, his face pinched with effort. He raises a hand, pointing over Shiro’s shoulder. “They come in from there sometimes. It leads out into the side hallway and into the hangar, I think.”

Shiro nods, smiling. “Perfect.”

He keeps an arm around Adam’s shoulders, supporting him, but for the most part he can walk on his own. They reach the infirmary doors and Shiro presses his ear against it, listening for guards or sentries. A pair of drone footsteps pass by, fading away in the opposite direction. He eases the door open, and finds the hallway empty.

“This way.”

Adam’s loud stumbling doesn’t give them away since the hallway appears to be deserted. In the flurry of activity to get the last of the fighters into the cruiser, someone left the infirmary unattended.  The next order of business is to get Adam a space suit.

“Have you seen where they keep gear? Space suits?”

Adam stumbles then, squeezing the side of Shiro’s space suit to keep himself upright. Shiro lowers him down, letting him lean against the wall while Shiro checks rows of rooms for a space suit. His face is deathly pale, green around the edges.

“You don’t have a ship?” Adam says while Shiro is in a flurry around him.

“I do,” he says, “It’s on a moon. I didn’t think this far ahead.”

Adam nods, putting his head between his knees. “Right. You thought I was dead. That’s ok. So did I.”

Shiro decides not to respond just as he’s entering the last room in the hallway, his heart thumping wildly as he finds it full of racks and racks of space suits.

They might do this. They might make it out.

Somehow Adam manages to get the space suit on over his hospital attire while Shiro snaps his own helmet into place. Sirens begin to ring out, signaling the ship’s impending movement.

“Fuck,” Adam says when his shaking fingers fail to work his own helmet mechanism.

“Here,” Shiro says, quickly getting the helmet locked into place. His own fingers stumble over Adam’s until they manage to get the Galra tech working. “Can you breathe?”

Adam’s breath fogs up the face shield for a moment, but then he gives him a thumbs up.

“You were always better at flight suit drills.”

Shiro shakes his head, laughing in spite of himself. Adam’s here. He’s alive.

“You ready to leave?”

Adam nods. “Whenever you are.”

They take it at a run. The sirens start to blare as they reach the hangar. Scores of Galra fighters clamor to find a spot in the crowded space. Guards yell around them and Shiro feels the heat of a laser nearly graze his side. He keeps his eyes on the door, slowly closing as the last fighter enters.

He grabs Adam’s hand and fires up his boosters. Once they’re airborne, the laserfire picks up, but Shiro weaves through it. Just a few more feet–  the were going to make it–

The door slams shut behind them and they’re in open space. Shiro quickly checks the integrity of his and Adam’s suit.

“Hang onto me,” He mouths, knowing Adam won’t be able to hear him without a comm system linking them. Adam understands, looping his arms around Shiro’s waist and holding on tight. They get to the moon quickly, the ice planet’s orbit having drawn it closer. He opens the latch door, pushing Adam inside before him.

“Strap yourself in,” He says, hopping into the driver’s seat. Adam gets the side seat open and secures himself while the ship responds to Shiro’s commands, running through the system checks in record time. “Hold on, this could get bumpy.”

He takes off, hooking a quick turn to avoid the ice planet’s gravity and to get away from the cruiser.

“Shiro!” Adam shouts.

Laser cannons fire at them from the cruiser, their magenta flares bright. Shiro dodges, trying to get away when two Galra fighters emerge from the ship and add to the fight.

“Shit.” He hooks a right, and then a left, zooming into an asteroid field to try and lose them. They bob and weave just as well as he does, and he narrowly misses clipping an asteroid. The fighter to his right isn’t so lucky, swerving wrong and exploding into sparks. Shiro can see the edge of the asteroid field, so close–  

_BANG_

The other fighter lands a shot, and it shakes the MFE violently. The ship lists dangerously to the right, one of the engines clearly done for.

“Go right up ahead!” Adam shouts, “There’s a clearing! Their fighters can’t move that fast!”

Shiro looks ahead, and there’s a small hole that will fit the MFE perfectly.

“Hang on!”

He takes the turn on a dime, the damaged MFE groaning under the strain. Behind them, the Galra fighter hurtles into an asteroid, exploding with a ball of fire.

“Yes!” Shiro shouts, and they clear the asteroid field.

Back out in open space, Shiro pulls up the comm screen to tap out Allura’s wormhole code, but the screen shorts out, refusing Shiro’s carefully memorized code. He taps it again. Nothing.

“Shiro…” Adam says, but Shiro doesn’t have to look. He sees the smoke rising from the engine outside of his window. An unfamiliar green planet looms in front of them, it’s atmosphere thick. He can already feel the gravity pulling them in.

He sets the thrusters on full blast, but the ship just sputters and fails. The gravity drags them in faster, the heat building up outside the window. He takes hold of the stick, looking back at Adam.

“Brace yourself.”

Adam nods and Shiro does his best to keep the ship level as they descend uncontrollably through the green planet’s atmosphere. The busted engine finally sputters out and dies, giving him little control over their direction. 

He digs his feet into the floor as the world rises up to meet them. There’s blue sky and green trees and then nothing as they crash down onto hard earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These boys I tell ya. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!! I was overwhelmed by all the comments and kudos on the first chapter, and can't wait to hear what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Shiro opens his eyes _._ His face shield is fogged up and the air presses against him, thick and humid like a wet washcloth slapped over his face. Condensation drips down his helmet’s face shield. He wipes it away, not daring to remove it until he can check the oxygen levels. 

“Adam…”

His whole body feels like scrambled eggs, aching and beat up when he turns around. Adam’s face mask is clouded over as well, but his head is limp against his shoulder. 

Shiro fumbles with the straps of his harness, freeing himself. 

“Come on,” he says, striding over and checking Adam over for injuries. He had been in rough shape before, and the space suit could be hiding injuries.

“Adam!” He shouts, his voice thick in his ears. 

He wipes away the fog covering Adam’s face shield. His eyes are closed, a congealed trail of blood tracking down his face. Ignoring the nerves twisting through his gut, Shiro puts a hand on Adam’s chest, feeling for it to rise and fall. 

There’s a painful moment of stillness, but then Adam’s ribs expand and he breathes. 

Shiro sits back, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling. Ok. Adam’s alive. He needs to get Adam out of the suit so he can check the extent of his injuries. 

He stumbles over to the control panel, the screens flickering in and out with some signs of life. He taps the environment scanner, hoping it still works after the fall. 

The screens jump in and out of focus, but the reading appears. Oxygen level: safe for humans. 

His fingers fly to his own helmet, unlatching it and tossing it to the side and taking his first breath of fresh air. He immediately coughs, adjusting to the extreme humidity, like breathing in hot soup. It would have to do. 

He returns to Adam’s side, undoing the clasp to his helmet and removing it. Adam’s eyes fly open. 

“What—“ he looks around frantically. His breathing is shallow and erratic, his eyes unseeing like when he first woke up in the infirmary. 

Shiro holds his head still. “Adam. I need you to follow my finger with your eyes.” 

Adam looks at him like he’s speaking Altean, but manages to follow the order when Shiro moves his finger back and forth. 

“Good.” The cut on his face seems to have already stopped bleeding. Shiro presses the back of his hand to Adam’s forehead. He’s warm, but not burning up. 

Adam leans into the touch. 

“Takashi,” he starts. “You’re still here.”

Shiro nods, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Save your strength.”

Adam nods, leaning his head back and letting his eyes fall shut. He breathing stays even, indicating he’s still conscious. Shiro’s heartbeat relaxes slightly. 

He takes a look around. The first aid kit is under his seat. It’s basic, but could be helpful if Adam gets worse. There’s a heavy-duty tent and MREs in the back cabinet along with a few cases of water.

He runs through the ship's diagnostics, finding most systems down, including the communications system and positioning feature. They can’t call for help, can’t figure out where they are. 

He takes a deep breath, bracing himself against the control panel. They’re too cramped in the ship, and he can already feel himself sweating in his space suit. He looks out the window. They appear to be on the ground, in a stable position. The MFE runs using a Bolmeran crystal, so there’s no chance of explosion, but he needs to assess the damage to the ship. 

“Adam,” he says again, stooping down in front of him. His eyes flutter open, the lids heavy. “We need to get out of the ship. Can you get up?”

Adam takes a deep breath, his eyebrows furrowed. He nods, bracing his hands on the wall. 

“Easy,” Shiro says, helping him up. Adam grabs his hand, squeezing hard. 

“Sorry,” he mutters, “Not firing on all cylinders here.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Shiro says. 

Thankfully, the latch door isn’t crushed. It opens easily, blasting them with hot and humid air. They step out onto the vine-covered ground, birds flying overhead and insects buzzing from the giant trees. 

“Where are we?” Adam asks, looking up. 

“I don’t know.”

“Huh.”

Shiro doesn’t like how quiet Adam’s voice is. His breathing is heavy, wheezing in and out of his chest as Shiro helps him sit down at the base of a tree. 

He scans the area, having no idea what kind of animals or other threats they could encounter here. So far the area is empty, with only small insects fluttering around. 

He kneels down in front of Adam. “Let’s get you out of this.”

He helps him out of the space suit and under suit, setting it carefully inside the MFE for when they’ll need it again. Adam’s wearing what looks like hospital scrubs underneath, slightly worn but clean. He hands him a bottle of water and tells him to sip it slowly. 

Shiro sheds his own space suit, circling the ship to assess the damage. The engine isn’t smoking anymore, but there’s a large hole in the side. 

He realizes it’s too quiet. 

“Adam?” He calls. 

There’s a pause, a rustling of leaves. “Yeah?”

All the books would say to keep Adam talking. Shiro thinks quickly, already looking at the sizeable hole in the ship’s engine.

“Tell me what you know about engine repair.”

There’s a soft laugh, then a cough. “Where should I start?”

Shiro reaches inside the ship, trying to identify the source of a soft hissing noise. “The beginning.” 

“Well,” Adam starts. “I don’t recognize the ship. What kind of fuel?”

“It’s an ancient alien crystal.”

“Of course it is. Expendable?”

Shiro finds the engine core, smiling when he finds the glowing crystal  intact. “Nope, rechargeable.”

“That’s lucky.” 

“I agree.”

Adam continues. “Can I ask about the integrity of the crystal right now?”

“You can ask me anything.” He finds the knob he’s looking for, turning it until the hissing noise subsides. “But yeah, it’s in good shape.”

“More good news. Does the crystal require an energy converter?”

Shiro’s hand finds a piece of jagged and twisted metal. “I just found it. It’s in bad shape.”

“Well.” Another pause. The crunch of the water bottle. “You just need to clear the pathways for the energy.”

“Is that all?”

Another laugh, a little stronger this time. “Hey, I can’t see the extent of the damage from here.”

“Good excuse. I should have used that one with our drill sergeant back in the day.”

“You never needed an excuse.”

With a clang, the compressor comes free, barely hanging on to the core by its broken latch system. 

Shiro examines it. “I’ll need to see if the ship has a spare. And check the schematics. What do you think our chances of finding replacement parts are?”

No response. 

“Adam?”

There’s a groan, then a soft thud from the other side of ship. 

Shiro drops the broken part and rushes to the other side of the ship. He finds Adam slumped over, his head dangerously close to having hit a rock jutting out from the ground. His eyes are closed. 

Shiro falls to his knees in front of him, his hands scrambling. “Shit–  Adam! Talk to me. Come on!”

Adam doesn’t stir, his whole body almost dead weight against the ground. Shiro feels his forehead again, then his pulse. Adam’s skin burns under his hand, much worse than before while his pulse races.

Shiro jumps to his feet, running back into the ship to look for the first aid kit. He finds it under the seat, running back outside. 

Why hadn’t he been more prepared? Why hadn’t he taken a bigger ship with people who could help him?? Why hadn’t he believed that Adam was alive? 

He rummages through the sparse first aid kit, kneeling in front of Adam again. 

He cleans the cut on Adam’s face first, finding it to be shallow and already clotted. He wipes the blood away and sprays it with disinfectant to be sure. He finds a fever patch, peeling the adhesive backing off and smoothing it out on Adam’s forehead. He finds the matching one for his wrists and neck as well. The label reads “low grade,” but it’ll have to do for now. 

The water bottle he had given Adam sits at the base of the tree, half full. When he wakes he’ll need to drink more. Shiro reaches over him for the bottle, noticing the puncture wound on Adam’s wrist for the first time since he had removed the needle on the ship. 

Before he can think on it, Adam jolts up, gasping for air. 

“Hey, hey–” 

Adam’s eyes are wild, staring but unseeing. He grabs Shiro’s shirt and pulls  _ hard _ , sending him sprawling onto the damp vines covering the ground. The he yells: an awful, throaty sound that sends birds flying up in the canopy.

Momentarily winded, Shiro tries to sit up but one of Adam’s hands is still twisted in his shirt, throwing him off balance. 

“Adam, it’s Shiro–”

Adam twists and writhes, as if he were being burned.

“No–” He sobs, “Please don’t–  Stop– I–”

Shiro manages to free Adam’s hand from his shirt so that he can sit up. He holds it tight, keeping Adam from lashing out. His eyes widen further, as if Shiro were a monster. 

“I won’t–  I can’t– don’t make me–”

“Adam–”

“They’re coming–  They’re going to take everything–”

Shiro exhales, fighting to keep his own voice even. “Adam, it’s Shiro. You’re safe.”

Adam finally looks at him, his breath a violent shudder.

“It’s only me here.” He squeezes his hand. “What do you see, Adam?”

“I see–” he starts, his eyes a burning gaze. “Are you really here?”

“I’m here.” He smoothes the hair back from Adam’s forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Adam swallows, nodding. “I see them around me. They injected me with shit–  all the time–”

Shiro grits his teeth, the phantom pain of his old Galra arm sharp. “They’re not here now. Do you know what they gave you? So I can help you?”

Adam shakes his head. “Just–  shit. Always made me puke. Then they’d try again–” He closes his eyes, another set of shakes coming over him. 

His teeth chatter, his head thrashing as he fights off some invisible nightmare. Obviously, the Galra weren’t finished experimenting on other species. Shiro knows he needs to stay calm. 

He takes off his jacket, rolling it up and slipping it under Adam’s head. “You’re going to come out of this. We’re going to get home.”

Adam nods, his eyes squeezed shut. “Takashi—“

Shiro takes his hand again. “I’m here.”

“They told me you were dead— they told me so many times and I never believed it—“

He’s not talking about the Galra now. 

“You always were the smarter one,” Shiro says. 

Adam laughs, a choked sound. His eyes open, but they aren’t as frantic now. “That’s not true.”

“It is true.” Shiro feels his forehead again; it’s not as hot as before. “Remember when we stole that old fighter jet and flew out to the desert?”

Adam stares at him, looking like he’s going to slip away again. Shiro tightens his grip on his hand. 

His eyes focus, and he nods. “I remember.” 

Shiro smiles. “I wanted to impress you so badly. You ended up saving the day. Did you think I knew anything about antique planes?” 

“I knew you didn’t,” Adam says, squeezing his hand. “But I didn’t want you to think I was scared.”

Shiro’s stomach twists. The light around them gradually begins to dim. He has no way to tell how long the days and nights are here, and needs to set up a more permanent camp. 

Adam starts to relax, his eyes drifting closed. Shiro checks his pulse; it’s steady, the racing subsided. 

After a few moments he returns to the ship, rummaging through the cabinets. Realistically, there was no way Adam would be able to recover in the minimal space the ship provided. The emergency tent would most likely be tiny, but better than nothing. Judging by the rain clouds rolling in along with the darkness of night, they needed shelter shelter sooner rather than later. 

He assembles the tent quickly just as the rain begins to fall. It’s rainforest rain; big, fat drops that soak right through his Garrison uniform while he’s carrying a still-unconscious Adam inside. He hunkers down beside him, checking his fever again with a real thermometer. Still high, but not dangerous. He manages to down a bottle of water himself and a protein bar, the fake peanut butter tasting almost toxic after watching Adam’s episode. 

The temperature drops and the rain picks up, hammering the outside of the tent until the light completely disappears, save for a small moon high above them. He covers Adam with a space blanket and listens to the sound of his breathing.

_ “Shiro, did you check the gauge before we left?” _

_ Shiro fiddles with the push start button again, saying several quick prayers that the ancient machine will magically start again. “Of course I did. We had more than a half tank.” _

_ Adam squints at the dash. “Looked more like a quarter tank to me.” _

_ “I can count, Adam!” _

_ Adam holds up his hands innocently, stifling a laugh. “Alright, alright… What’s the fuel?”  _

_ His freckles stand out even brighter in the desert sun. _

_ Shiro looks away, his face heating under Adam’s gaze. “Gasoline.” _

_ Adam whistles. “Good news is, I know a guy.”  _

_ “You know a guy?” _

_ Adam smiles. It’s small but it packs a punch, mostly because it’s directed at Shiro.  _

_ “My mom used to take us to an old gas station to get candy when we were kids. People filled up classic cars there.” _

_ “Isn’t that against the law? How did they–” _

_ “We’re hicks, Shiro.” _

_ “Oh.” _

_ Adam bursts out laughing at Shiro’s face, hopping down from the cockpit. His grip is warm on Shiro’s arm when he uses it to steady himself.  _

_ “Come on, we gotta get this plane back to the garrison before dark,” Adam calls. “If we can get there before we die of dehydration...” _

“Shiro– “

Shiro jolts out of his daydream. 

“Hey,” he says, waiting for Adam’s eyes to open. “How do you feel?”

Adam groans, raising a hand to massage at his temples. “Like I crashed my fighter and was abducted by Galra.”

Shiro sighs, relieved. He helps Adam sit up, handing him a bottle of water. He takes several long gulps, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“How long was I out?”

Shiro squints, trying to track how long it’s been. “Eight hours maybe? Days are longer here, I think.”

Adam nods. He takes a few deep breaths, leaning his head down onto his bended knee. 

“Do you…” Shiro starts. “Remember when you were out?”

“A little.” He takes another pull from the water bottle, wrapping the space blanket around his shoulders. “The Galra don’t design their treatments for patient comfort. I was hallucinating, right?”

Adam always did have the ability to detach himself from a situation, Shiro had just never seen to what extent. 

He nods. “You thought you were back on the Galra ship.”

Adam shivers. “Definitely don’t want that.”

They sit in silence for a few moments, listening to the rain. Shiro gives Adam one of the protein bars; he wrinkles his nose at it. 

“I don’t think I could keep it down right now.”

“I think there’s some nausea-suppressant in here.” Shiro rummages through the first-aid kit, looking for the green bottle he had spotted earlier. 

“Shiro?”

“It’s in here somewhere–”

“Takashi.”

He stops, looking up. 

Adam watches him, his expression unguarded. 

“They told me you were dead.”

Shiro’s chest tightens. It’s the third time Adam has said it, but each time is like a direct hit. This time, it’s a question.

“I know,” Shiro says, “I’m sorry.”

Adam shakes his head. “No–  I’m not looking for your apology. I want to know what happened.”

Shiro shrugs. “I think Sam Holt gave everyone the short version.”

Adam bites his lip, disappointed. He adjusts himself, opening the blanket up to invite Shiro. 

“Come on,” He says. “It’s cold.”

Shiro hesitates, but his wet uniform and sudden need to shiver win out in the end. The blanket is big enough for the two of them, but he can’t help but move close. 

They watch the rain in silence through the small tent window, the condensation beading up on the plastic as quickly as it’s washed away. 

“What were they giving you?” Shiro asks, tentatively. 

Adam tenses. They both have so much to say, but where to start? 

Adam exhales, blowing the air out. “It was an experimental drug to create obedient human slaves.”  He pauses. “Obviously, it doesn’t work, it just made me sick everytime. Sometimes I wouldn’t feel right for weeks.”

Shiro clenches his fist, but stays quiet, waiting for Adam to continue. 

“I ejected,” he says, looking down. “If that’s what you’re wondering. They shot my plane down but I ejected. I guess there was too much smoke for the garrison to see my chute. The Galra caught me in some sort of magnetic beam. That was that.”

They had put Adam’s name up on a wall of dead. They didn’t even bother to confirm it. 

“There were others,” Adam continues. “From other places. Once every major city fell to them. They would pass in and out of the jail cells, transferred to other ships. Mostly they kept me separate. I don’t know, maybe because I was a part of the garrison.”

“Adam…”

Adam’s brow furrows, as if he’s choosing his words very carefully. “I don’t want you to feel guilty. I did my job that day. I just…” He shakes his head. 

Shiro reaches out, placing his hand on Adam’s shoulder. He doesn’t pull away. 

“What is it?” Shiro asks. 

Adam sighs. He looks up, grey eyes meeting Shiro’s. “I was the last one in the infirmary, when you found me. The last human left alive on the ship.”

Shiro’s stomach twists. Through the haze of the last twelve hours, he remembers rows upon rows of empty beds, running through them to get to Adam.

Shiro slides his arm around Adam, pulling him close. Adam moves with him, settling against Shiro’s chest. He exhales slowly.

“You don’t have to tell me yet…” Adam says. “About what you’ve been doing since Kerberos. But you will tell me, right?”

And there it was. The question he had always been asking. The one Shiro always evaded, until one day Adam got too tired to ask anymore. 

_ You’d tell me if your condition gets worse, right?  _

_ Are you having second thoughts about us? _

_ How important am I to you? _

“Adam, I—“ Shiro says, the words getting caught. 

He smiles, one of those small ones Shiro had loved more than anything when they were together. 

Adam leans over, brushing his lips against Shiro’s hand on his shoulder. An electric pulse runs up his new arm, and he pulls him closer. Adam relaxes against his touch. 

“Thanks for coming to get me, Takashi.”

Shiro buries his face in Adam’s hair, closing his eyes. 

“It was my friend Pidge who found Galra security footage with you on it.”

Adam laughs softly. “Tell Pidge I said thank you.”

“You can tell her yourself when we get home.”

“Hmm.” Adam looks up. “I’m glad home is still there.”

Adam’s face is so close to his, and his eyes are so warm. He’s so alive. 

Shiro clears his throat. “The rain should stop soon. I’ll take another look at the ship then. I  should let you rest, it’s been a long day–”

Adam puts a finger to Shiro’s lips. “Stop.”

He does. Adam sits up. Shiro tightens his arm around him. 

“I just remembered something else from that day, when we flew out into the desert.” Adam says, “You kissed me as soon as the sun set.”

Shiro swallows, his heart pounding in his throat. 

Adam lets the blanket drop lower from their shoulders. He leans in, taking Shiro’s face between his hands. He says something, too soft for Shiro to hear. Then Adam kisses him, soft and slow like a question. 

Shiro pulls him closer, kissing him properly. Adam makes a small noise when Shiro parts his lips, when Shiro threads his fingers in his hair. He runs a hand down Shiro’s chest, stopping at his heart. 

The rain continues outside, tapping on the tent as the alien world sinks into night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading this fic! So far it's been very fun and challenging to flesh out Adam's character and their relationship. Comments are love and motivate me to write, so please tell me what you think!
> 
> If you'd like to come chat about Voltron or any other of my plethora of fandoms, come say hi at my tumblr: destielpasta.tumblr.com


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